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Underwood Sailors Volunteer at School in Panama

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100525-12
5/25/2010

By Ensign Kim Hanson, USS Underwood Public Affairs

PANAMA CITY, Panama (NNS) -- Forty-three Sailors from USS Underwood (FFG 36) and embarked helicopter detachment Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 60 (HSL-60) volunteered for an April 23 community outreach program at the Instituto Comercial, a public school located in the suburbs of Panama City.

Underwood Sailors worked with 28 volunteers from the U.S. Embassy Panama, working alongside 45 Panamanian public school students and English teachers from the Instituto Comercial. Volunteers painted a basketball court, cleaned and planted new plants in the school's garden and engaged in language activities to help students practice conversational English.

"I really enjoyed helping out the school and talking with the children," said Lt. j.g. Angela Duran, Underwood's electronics maintenance officer. "Being able to help a community is a rewarding experience, especially when you interact with those who are benefiting and see how your actions are influencing them."

Instituto Comercial is home to the school's girl's basketball team, which won the Latin American championship two years ago. The team greatly appreciated the improvement to their practice court.

"On behalf of everybody in our school, I want to express you our gratitude for the great work you did," said Professor Cubilla, an English instructor for Instituto Comercial. "We are really thankful for this activity."

At the conclusion of the project, Underwood Commanding Officer Cmdr. Craig Bowden presented the school with a framed photo of USS Underwood, matted with well wishes for the opportunity to help at the school.

Underwood, homeported in Mayport, Fla., and its embarked SH-60B helicopter detachment, HSL-60, is deployed for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO) conducting counter-illicit trafficking operations for Joint Interagency Task Force-South in the Eastern Pacific.

COMUSNAVSO is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the area of responsibility. COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the Maritime Strategy, including Theater Security Cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.